Spiti September

The K&N September Spirit (Kenny & Nilu)

This blog is dedicated to a fellow rider, Himanshu. He was a great source of inspiration for both, Nilu and I, during our trip. He had joined us in our last trip to Leh and would have joined us in this trip too, had it not been for the lack of beat in his heart(dil se awaz nahi aayi).

Himanshu, Screw U!! (HSU)

Legend:

K&N - Kenny and Nilu

HSU - Himanshu, Screw U.

GM - The Group Mentor

FG - The Fall Guy

CS - The City Slacker

TP - The Trip Peddler

HS - The Horror Snorer

PA - The Plain Author

LN - Lajpat Nagar

GT - Grand Trunk

The Mountain Raiders this time were:

The Group Mentor(GM) - Nilu - Pulsar 200.

The Fall Guy(FG) - Anshuman - Electra 5S.

The City Slacker(CS) - Javed - Pulsar 200.

The Trip Peddler(TP) - Gyan - Karizma.

The Horror Snorer(HS) - Vikram - Kamikaze - Thunderbird

The Plain Author(PA) - Kenny - Electra 4S.

Day 1: Sep 6, 2008. (Delhi - Panipat)

Chapter 1: The Gathering

Apart from Gyan, who would be joining from Panipat, the rest gathered at Lajpat Nagar(LN) at CS's place at 10 AM to load the trip essentials, a ritual that would eat more than an hour everyday. FG and CS were the newbies here. The skies were cloudy the previous eve, but the D-day turned out to be sunny and clear. Flagged off at 12 noon(this was going to be the regular departure time throughout), the group headed towards GT road through ISBT.

FG had an unbalanced load as the whole of his rucksack was occupying one side of the carrier and jutting out so much, that his entire width was taking more road space than a 4X4. But, true to his spirit, he rode on. GM was leading the pack. On reaching Badli chowk, GM took the wrong turn towards Azadpur and may have well gone all the way back to LN. Fearing that the trip was getting over before it even started, all of the rest were blaring our horns. Amidst the chaos, he was not able to hear the sounds. So, he had to be caught up and then go back the right way.

The traffic was heavy on the way. Now, FG sports a ponytail. It was observed by PA, that the passers-by took a second look at him hoping to see a striking female, but finding a moustache and beard instead.

After Kundli, the traffic cleared up and throttles opened. The going was smooth and we took the first stop at Murthal's Ahuja dhaba. This was a regular pit-stop for PA and highly recommended. The gang enjoyed alu parathas with white makhan and true dal makhani. GM chose to ride on since he was carrying his beloved gahori(pork) in a rapidly melting ice-pack. He was racing against time to cover those 100 kms to Panipat.

As the rest of the gang resumed, HS started having troubles. All that weight and heat of the day was giving him cramps. On reaching Panipat township, another navigation mishap occurred. Note that this time too, the PA was not responsible. While GM was relaxing at TP's place with a bottle of beer, the rest got lost inside the township. Four riders in four different directions. TP had to come to the rescue locating them one by one and then dragging them back home.

The total luggage occupied the whole living room of TP. Preparations started to celebrate the success of the first leg of the tour. After freshening up, tanks were filled up at the nearest refinery petrol pump. Then onto the nearest theka to stock up for the trip and the evening. The original plan was the to go to bed early by 7 PM and wake up at 3 AM as the second day was going to be the longest drag of the tour. The actual bedtime happened at 10 PM and wake up at 4 AM.

(Distance travelled during the day - 126 km)
(Distance travelled from Gurgaon - 183 km)


Day 2: Sep 07, 2008

(Panipat - Rajpura - Banur - Kharar - Roopnagar - Kiratpur - Bilaspur - Sundernagar - Kullu - Manali)

Chapter 2: The Big Leap

HSU

Thankfully, everyone and their motorcycles were ready by 5 AM, and the gang took off. This was going to be a long day. A near 500 km was to be covered. It was still dark. The sound of 6 motorcycles must have woken the neighbourhood and attracted curses. TP would bear that brunt when he returns. This time FG's motorcycle was more balanced.

The going was smooth for some 25 kms, when it started to rain. It was kind of exciting as brand new raincoats were taken out. How wrong they were. It started with CS when his Rs 100 lower tore at the back as he was getting back on his bike. It was chilly too and none of them was wearing any warm clothes.

A pit-stop at a dhaba just before Rajpura, and everybody came to their senses and covered up. Hot tea floated around. Now, HS has a huge bulk and is never satisfied with one cup, no matter how tall it is. Wasting no time, the gang carried on. GM was getting wary of his chain condition. That was solved at the turn in Banur. Touchdown at NH-21 at 9:40 AM at Kharar.

Until all this time, PA was behind FG. Just a few kms before Kiratpur, PA took the lead and was racing ahead. He was anxious to reach the hills. HS was close behind. As the two reached Kiratpur, where the road turns towards Bilaspur, PA received a call. It was TP. He had fallen some way back. A few minutes later, CS and GM joined them. It was learnt that TP had called everybody and no one had responded. You can only picture his state of mind, lying on the road, calling for help and nobody picking up. This became a source of humour later. 30 mins pass before TP and FG appear. TP had fallen over some gravel and scratched his knee and elbow. FG narrated how when he was applying first aid another bike slips and crash into him, making him fall too. Thats what is called a freefall. (Muft me gir gaya). No injuries though.

Touchdown Bilaspur at 2:30 PM for lunch. Neelam Bar and Restaurant. K&N had stopped here on their previous Spirit ride. Dried tongues thirsted for beer. The chilled ale was like manna. It was accompanied by handi chicken and rotis. There was still 8 hours ride ahead of them. Time was short.

(The scenery made CS enact Rajesh Khanna)

Riding onwards, they reached Sundernagar at 5:30 PM. The CS complained that there were no "sunderiyaa" to be seen at Sundernagar. Just outside, FG reached reserve, though nobody could figure that out at that time. It was later learnt that his motorcycle was giving a mileage of 23 kpl.

On the way to Kullu, CS was riding far ahead. PA and HS were behind him. Then came, GM, TP and FG. Just before that 3.5 km Kullu tunnel, PA also struck reserve. There was a short stop inside the tunnel to take some pics.

PA stopped at the next filling station, along with HS. But the rest of the gang was not to be seen. CS had reached the Manikaran crossing 10 kms before Kullu and called up PA. Both reached that spot 20 mins later. They learnt from CS that TP had fallen again. He had miscalculated a turn and went horizontal. Must be due to that non-turning headlight of Karizma. GM was right behind him and almost ran him over.

Seeing so many mishaps, the gang decided to stick together. After Kullu, it was the turn of CS to misguide. He sped off in the wrong direction. As the rest waited, he returned 10 mins later seeing nobody following him. The road between Kullu and Manali was very unlike what it was last year. It was rough and pot-holed. It was 10:40 AM when all reached Manali guest house, Dugri Huts on the Hidamba Temple road.

The cottage was neat. 2 rooms upstairs and 2 downstairs complete with Kitchen and Dining Hall. (ok ok, Thanks GM and TP). Within 25 minutes, all the luggage was unloaded, everyone was freshened up and sat down in the living room for celebration rounds. It was time for Old Monk, Chicken, Mutton. Since Himanshu wasnt there, GM became the target. His leg was severely pulled. The dinner again had chicken and mutton with rotis. All were gobbling up the meat since after Manali, such luxuries would be rare.

(Distance travelled during the day - 494 km)
(Distance travelled from Gurgaon - 677 km)

Day 3: Sep 8, 2008: (Manali)

Chapter 3: Big Bazaar

HSU

The hard drinking showed its effect. Everybody got up late. Now, the reader would know how TP got his name. TP ordered a masseurs. Relax, it was a male masseur. While TP, CS and GM got their joints massaged, the rest passed and got dressed. The breakfast was chhole bathure with fresh anjeer. The table was complete with a near empty bottle of Old Monk lying in the center.

This day had been marked for shopping camp items. After heavy breakfast, guys set out to give their bikes to the mechanic. HS was wary as usual and demanded the mechanic to call him so that he could personally supervise the work on his motorcycle. TP called up his local contact to get better info on where to get the list of items. GM purchased his rucksack there and the others made full use of it. All the items were dumped into the bag.

FG called up an old friend, Yon, a Korean. He had a pub at Old Manali and invited all of us to join him. Hearing the word "pub", all the shopping was put on hold and straightaway charged to Old Manali. The pub was called "The Lazy Dog" and true to its name. It was unlike any other pub that the people had ever seen. By the riverside, amongst the rocks, out in the open, where you can just laze around all day.

Tired from all the shopping, Beers were gulped down quickly. Yon ordered some delicious and exotic Korean cuisine for us.

The shopping was still pending otherwise the group would have stuck out there the whole day. It was a major task getting the Kerosene for the stove but finally the contact, Gagan, got it from some lady. The jerrycans were selling for 40 Rs a piece, but running out of options, they had to relent.

After finishing all the shopping, they returned to the guest house. Celebrations were on again on successfully completing all the shopping. The idea of going back to Lazy Dog was put out, but not executed. It was for the better, since that leaves something to be desired. After gulping down another bottle of Old Monk, GM and HS retired. The others had their brain cells sharpened and innovation was flowing like water out of drunk minds. The government shouldve listened to those ideas. The group had practically removed all the poverty from this earth and beyond. They also invented disc brakes with breakthrough technology. Finally at 2 AM, everyone retired.

(Distance travelled during the day - 1 km)
(Distance travelled from Gurgaon - 678 km)

Day 4: Sep 9, 2008

(Manali - Rohtang Pass - Gramphoo - almost Chhatru)

Chapter 4: Riverside Paradise

HSU

As usual, the gang took its time to get ready. It was only at 11:40 AM that everybody was ready to leave. This timing would become the regular departure time throughout. The group planned to reach Chandertal by evening. HAAAHHH. After filling up the tanks and jerry cans and taking cash, the way to Rohtang Pass started. The weather was again dry. PA's motorcycle was beginning to show signs of age with a screeching sound coming from the shockers when going over troughs. It might have been due to the excess load too.

There's this rough patch that comes on the way up where the road is quite rough and steeply inclined. You can always find trucks stranded there. It was here that FG started showing his colours. This was the first fall. FG bailed out safely. He would become an expert in that. Petrol started leaking from the tank and jerrycans. Already he was getting a mileage of 23 kpl, so a 100 kms was spilt on the road. GM and PA came to pick him up. With some pushing he was over that rough patch.

Some minutes later, HS also had a fall. His motorcycle was already as much loaded as himself and picking it up took a toll on the backs.

After a few more spells of pushing, the group reached Rohtang top. HS remarked about the way up, "ye mushkil hai?". PA couldnt judge whether it was said in humour or seriously. Maggi with omelettes were ordered. It was quite warm at the top. The group wasnt making excellent time too. It was 3:30 PM. Chances of reaching Chandertal looked bleak.

Still, to see how far they could go, they rode on where few venture. The majority of tourists turn back from Rohtang Top. A few kms later and still descending, it started to snow. Hailstones hit the helmets like bass drumbeats. Raincoats were again put on but were little defense against heaven's missiles.

It stopped snowing as the group reached Gramphoo. There the road split into two. One side going to Leh, the other towards Kaza. The gang was entering new, unexplored territory here. It was reported that the road to Kaza was even worse than Manali-Leh. Initially, it did not appear so. In fact, the landscape was even more beautiful. Soon, it was getting dark. At 6: 30 PM, they stopped at a place which looked perfect for camping with the Spiti river(which would become Satluj later) flowing alongside.

CS and FG were the ones who had seen how the tents should be set up. As they instructed, the camp started to take shape. One tent was set up correctly while the other one was not. True to their nature, blame was put on Carabin for taking out one of the rods and sabotaging the trip. But engineers always find another solution. Using ropes, the other tent was also setup resting on the first one. The space between them was used to store the luggage. There was no fear of wild animals as 3 forest guards also had their tent close by. Plus, they were carrying guns. However, this would not come to any use.

GM and PA went busy trying to start the kerosene stove inside one of the tents. They had been instructed many times in Manali on how to do it. But then, its no use unless done practically. Struggling to keep the flame alive, alarm was raised to bring in one of the forest guards. He did the ignition and all were grateful. They had no idea how cold it would become in the night. Water was put on for boiling and the group started to explore the surroundings. It was a serene place in the night time with the moonlight. Clear sky with hundreds of stars. Rocks of all shapes surrounded the campsite. PA wished for some camera to capture that pic.

Soon, newly bought hip-flasks were out and passed around. There was also a small bonfire with whatever twigs GM could find around.

As the water started boiling, cup noodles were opened and devoured along with canned tuna and pork. TP suggested to carry more chakhna next time. CS and HS were getting dizzy from the altitude and cold. They went to bed. The others were getting into a mood. The same line went through everybody's mind. "This is LIFE". We were admiring the motorcycles, standing majestically between white rocks with their chrome glistening in the moonlight.

(Distance travelled during the day - 92 km)
(Distance travelled from Gurgaon - 769 km)


Day 5: Sep 10, 2008

(Chhatru - Batal - Chandertal)

Chapter 5: Lakeside Paradise

HSU

Few minutes later (dont know what time, nobody was looking at watches), everybody was asleep snug in their sleeping bags. PA woke up first only to find the rest still nestled deep. After some sightseeing, he also went back to sleep only to be awoken sometime later by TP. He was scouting for some place to relieve himself. This required precise space-age co-ordination as the others gradually awoke. Everybody chose one direction and went far ahead in it. HS's tasks over all the others was to clean his visor. Such dedication.

There was heavy dew over the tent covers. Drying those up, they started packing them. 3 baby scorpions turned out while packing. There was no telling if anybody had been bitten. Besides, it was so cold, none of them must have felt it.

It was still noon, when all the stuff was loaded and the riders headed to Chhatru, just 2 kms away. They had their meals there.

It was now that the roads got adventurous. The paths were just rocks. There were small rocks surrounded by bigger rocks and that was used as a road. The FG was showing his true colours here. The group's paths crossed with the endurohimalaya.com returning from the other side, all dashing their Bullets. At one instance, the handlebar got stuck and one of the rider fell hard, but uninjured. The footrest was bent. The desi boys stopped and went for help, but the firangs didnt need it. They just banged on the footrest with a rock, straighthened it and carried on. The roughness of the path can be judged by the incident where one of the welds of PA's carrier broke and the jerrycan went flying. Had it not been for TP following behind, PA would have lost another 5 litres petrol like he did in Ladakh.

The group also found more fan following in a Sumo going ahead of them towards Kungri. The 3 tourists clicked some pics of men on their machines. The favour was returned at Batal dhaba. On the way, they were overtaken by a she-biker in a Honda offroad bike with a light "Hello" and the group was in love.

At the Batal dhaba, GM took fancy to a street dog and gifted him a whole pack of Britannia 50-50. Man, your fellow riders are even more hungry. Why not give them something to eat?

Now, they were heading to the final leg towards Chandertal. The roads became even worse. Very narrow, very rough, very steep. On top of that were water crossings.

This route gave way to plains. Riders to Ladakh would relate this to More Plaines. After travelling 17 kms and still no lake(the board just before the turn had said 14 kms to Chandertal), TP and CS were sent as scouts to look ahead and report back with their findings. Meanwhile GM was scouting in his own unusual way.

When the scouts returned, they reported seeing a lake-like feature some distance away. It would be a long ride to there over the hills and it was getting dark. CS tried his best to discourage us and move to Kaza. But, it was already too late for that. Sensing the adventure spirit among the participants, they all moved forward. There were many forks in the road. TP was quick in taking these routes with HS blindly following him. When his heavily loaded beast got stuck, he had to be brought back in line to go by the regular route. To the surprise of all, what the scouts referred to as Chandertal, was a glacier. The actual lake was towards the right. This became a source of much leg-pulling later. That didnt make the descent any easier. It was still a good way down. Seeing, a parked Pajero close by, the riders too reached that spot and parked their machines there. The rest of the descent was reached on foot. To make the shifting a little easier, some of the stuff was just plummetted down the mountain.

They were all aiming to hit the scout at the bottom. With little daylight left, the task of putting up the tent started immediately.

CS was gruffing loudly about leaving his bike unattended at the top. After all, somebody in the middle of nowhere would find his bike more lucrative than the 4X4 parked 10 ft away. Somehow, he was convinced to get down to the campsite. With experience behind them, the tents were setup rightly this time. No Carabin blame-shifting. Even the stove was lighted expertly. The cook, GM, immediately got to his job.

It was here that everyone was struck by AMS. Still, men didnt let the sickness dampen their spirits. With Diamox in hand, they were all well prepared for it. TP had challenged PA that he would be the last to take Diamox. Unfortunately for him, the sickness got to him enroute Chandertal. Although, PA also succumbed the next morning.

(Distance travelled during the day - 55 km)
(Distance travelled from Gurgaon - 823 km)

Day 6: Sep 11, 2008

(Chandertal - KunzumLa - Losar - Rangrik - Kaza)

Chapter 6: Enter Spiti

HSU

Night was cold. The water kept in bottles outside had turned to ice. What else could be expected at an altitude of 4270m. Sleep was hard for everybody except for HS who sports a 350cc engine in his nostrils too. It had to be choked time and again to smoothen it.

In the morning, again, the co-ordinated science was implemented. There were another two tents close by that had disappeared early in the morning along with the Pajero. While the boys could finish packing only at noon. Since, the vehicles were parked 30 ft up, the task of lifting the luggage was exhausting. The shifting and packing consumed 2 hours. GM earned another nickname here, "Chander-baal", because of the way his hair was sprouting out of his balaclava.  The group had covered 50-60kms during the past two days. Realising this, they set a modest target of 75 kms for that day upto Losar and set off.

While returning, FG must have tripped many times. At one instance, over a slope, he was helped up by GM and PA. They warned him, "Neutral matt lagana". The reply was "laga diya". As if in response, the beast fell again, in slow motion. There were also met by two firang hikers on the way who asked how far the lake was. On hearing 10 kms, there was no reaction. No big deal.

Some fantastic scenery greeted them over Kunzum Pass, all the way to Losar where they stopped for lunch.

Tarmac was welcomed. Enroute were fenced areas of protected fauna by the Pragya foundation. All were jubilant on seeing some civilization after two days of camping. The rice, dal was delicious quite unlike the parathas. A fellow rider, Suresh Rana, also introduced himself. He used to be a part of Delhi's Royal Beasts. Only this time, he had come with his wife in his Scorpio. The connection between bikers was clearly visible. Exchanging knowledge of the routes ahead from each other and sharing pics, they set off in their own way. The original plan was to stay at Losar, but knowing about the road conditions, they made way for Kaza.

The road after Losar was a breeze. CS found this much to his taste and he zoomed way ahead all the way to Kaza.

This stretch can be related to the Sarchu road. Paved, but bumpy. If the rider is not careful, be prepared for clunks. Straight stretches seperated by light curves. It was a rider's delight.

They reached Kaza only after dark. This is the biggest town in Spiti Valley with a population of near 4000. TP and GM went to look for a hotel. They struck a discounted deal with Hotel Spiti, part of Himachal Tourism. The rooms were neat and spacious. To tent-dwellers it was nothing short of seven-star luxury.

There were no other guests. Exclusive service. HS was very delighted here. He found a PCO. It was more precious to him than sanitation. As PA noticed, he got more in his ear than what he got out of his mouth. He must have got some thrashy spanking since for the rest of the trip, he was always found hunting for a PCO at every village.

After cleaning up, the celebrations began again. The sight of glasses after 2 days living in the wilderness was a refreshing sight to the eyes. Inflated bladders and stuffed stomachs were the order of the day. Tired eyes slept easily.

(Distance travelled during the day - 103 km)
(Distance travelled from Gurgaon - 926 km)


Day 7: Sep 12, 2008

(Kaza - Komik - Kaza)

Chapter 7: New Heights and Chhang Quest

HSU

After a hard ride, the previous day, this day was planned easy. A short ride to the highest village of the world accessible by road, 25 kms away. But first, the machines were taken for oiling. FG went for some shopping in the local market and bought Buddhist flags. These can be found today hanging on the walls of FG's house.

Local enquiry turned out two routes. One was tarmac, the other unpaved. The group opted to use the tarmac one on the way up. The road was newly paved. The rise was swift. It felt as if the road would lead straight to the top of the world. 20 kms ride brought them to Langza.

This village was 4200m above sea level with an interesting looking Buddhist temple. Being so lazy since morning, the riders helped pushing a stuck jeep out of a sticky corner. The task becomes 10 times more difficult at such altitude with heavy and long lasting panting. FG got in an interesting conversation with a local fossil seller. He tried to buy the fossil in exchange of a photograph. When refused, the offer price was doubled to 2 photographs. The seller was unrelenting with his extremely photogenic, supermodel face. Finally the deal was struck in Rs 30 and one photograph.

Climbing higher, they reached Komik a few minutes later. There was a 800 yr old monastery at the top, the village being a few feet down. It was a commanding sight standing at the top of the mountains with the whole surrounding world below you.

They decided to take the unpaved way down to Kaza thinking how bad it could be? Big mistake. It was all rolling stones and narrow with a giant drop on the side. Still, the view was marvellous.

Getting down to Kaza, HS went to his beloved, darling PCO. FG and CS went to eat cheese momos, which they rant about till this day. TP, GM and PA went to the fuel pump to top up the tanks and decided their next plan of action. Local enquiry at the hotel gave the knowledge that the local liquor, Chhang, could be found at Rangrik village, 8 kms away. The hotel reception also joined them to assist in finding the liquor.

They returned 1 hour later armed with 2.5 litres at a cost of Rs 100. Night was going to be pleasant. Meanwhile a group of Gujjus had turned up from Baroda in taxis at the same hotel. They were heading towards Manali. They looked in awe at the 6 motorcycles. GM got into a conversation with them. His chest puffed up 6 inches instantly as the Gujjus complimented him as "Macho Man". Not to be outdone, GM responded instantly, "dil me junoon hona chahiye". It was not sure whether the Gujjus found it amusing, but the other riders sure did.

The council meetings began with snap solutions to world's problems. For curious readers, Chhang tastes like red wine.

(Distance travelled during the day - 91 km)
(Distance travelled from Gurgaon - 1017 km)

Day 8: Sep 13, 2008

(Kaza - Shichling - Dhankar - Shichling - Tabo - Hurling - Poh - Sumdo - Nako)

Chapter 8: Holy Crusade and Heist

HSU

The day started out unplanned in a way. Although, Dhankar was on the cards, no specific destination was decided. It was a 'take it as it comes' approach. Tanks were topped up at the only Petrol Pump nearby, the world's highest.

When everybody was geared up and ready to go, HS went missing. Where else could he be found, but the PCO. It was only at 11:30 that they were all good to go. Progress was swift and they reached Dhankar monastery in 2 hours. For daily exercise, this time they helped a stuck tractor out. There were 2 monasteries here, old and new. The old one was a more spectacular sight nestled among giant anthills.

But, the path up to it was also treachorous.

TP and GM reached the point from where there was a steep walk up to the monastery gates. PA and HS tried but they had to turn back halfway owing to the heavy load. After modelling sessions, they set off towards Tabo.

They reached Tabo about 2 hours later. Lo and behold, a fabulous sight greeted them. The same offroad Honda biker that met them before Chhota Darra. Lunch was at Tenzin restaurant(what a name). The monastery at Tabo is 1012 years old.

Cameras weren't allowed inside. HS busied himself at the PCO, skipping lunch to stand in the queue.

The roads after Tabo were beautiful. Newly paved with no traffic, as if the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana had built them especially for the September Spirit. Reaching Hurling, the apple orchards started. Surprisingly, all the trees were loaded with fist-sized juicy apples and all the houses were locked. The devil clicked. PA and CS looked around to ask for permission from any locals, but finding none, went over the walls. OK, OK, it was stealing. But then, it was the 'forbidden fruit'. You can't challenge history. In fact, TP did ask someone for permission, which turned out to be a scarecrow.

Moving on, they reached Sumdo check-post quickly. This time, FG was showing his conversation skills and asking the guards what would have happened if they had rode on straight through without stopping. The honest reply was arrest at the next checkpost a few kms ahead. Throttles opened as the roads turned smoother. At the same time, it was also getting higher and very windy. They had learnt at Tabo that the 30 kms to Nako after Sumdo was well laid, except for a 200-300m rough patch at the end. TP and PA had scoffed at that time. How bad could it be? How wrong they were. The patch turned out to be quite steep, uneven, wet and windy. All coupled with an altitude of 3500m and enclosing darkness, its nightmare.

Daring as they were, the patch was crossed and they reached Nako at 8 PM. They took refuge at Rio Purluing Hotel. It was named after the highest peak in Himachal, as told by the locals. After refreshments and dinner of bony chicken and rice, some retired for the night, while the rest went for a midnight stroll to Nako Tal, 200m away. Although, it was dark, the place looked worthy of a daytime visit, which they did.

After returning, the council meeting happened for some time. Owing to that GM was forced to share the room with TP and HS. It must have been hard for him with two roaring noses right next to him.

(Distance travelled during the day - 110 km)
(Distance travelled from Gurgaon - 1128 km)


Day 9: Sep 14, 2008

(Nako - Ka - Khab - Namgia - Dogri - Namgia - Khab - Pooh - Spillow - Reckong Peo)

Chapter 9: Runaway Renegades

HSU

This wasnt going to be a pleasant day. It was a day of heated conversations.

Next morning, the group left Nako. Along came Kazigs.

It was similar to Gata Loops on way to Leh, only they were much fewer turns and gentle. GM tried to take a video of the motorcyclists heading down, but the rocks obstructed the view. It was great fun. HS and FG were leading at this point. The intention was to head towards Shipki La, the pass to Tibet. But, they went straight, bypassing the turn towards Khab. GM went in search for them. Meanwhile, CS did some enquiry with an oncoming truck. They said that the road doesnt lead there. The road goes to a point from where there's a 7 km trek. CS dropped the idea of going further.

By now, the explorer spirit of TP and PA had overshadowed all other interests, and both of them took the turn without waiting for GM to return with the others. Dumbest mistake to be made in a group ride. They went to the military area near Namgia to ask again. They learnt that the road goes upto Mata ka Mandir at Dogri(8 kms away), from where a 3-4 kms trek starts towards Shipki La. The road was closed due to blasting activities. Hearing this, the duo made another sensible decision. They still continued upwards. Soon, the tarmac gave out to rolling stone path. Reaching Dogri, and asked the military men stationed there. They said that the kaccha road continues for another 10 - 12 kms and even from there the pass would not be visible. As an example, they showed a near vertical trek path nearby adding that the Shipki La trek was about the same angle. This time, the duo gave up and headed back.

They reached Pooh to find fuming fellows. Heated exchanges all around sent the temperature soaring.

HS, being the calmest among us, tried his best to ease the situation by distributing cold drinks, but to no avail. It was amazing to see GM still talk in a composed manner. The rest of them also had tried to come up to Khab, but had to turn back since HS' motorcycle wasnt able to pull through.

Amid tensions, they made their way forward and reached Rekong Peo at 7:30 PM. First task was to get to the ATM. Everyone was running low on cash. Four people had run out of it. GM, CS and FG went in search of a hotel. By now, they were under cellular network area and HS' joys knew no bounds. Since, even the accounts were running low on reserves, a budget hotel was decided, Hotel Fairyland. Here, they were met by an American biker, Josh, travelling with his girlfriend to Nako. He was considering to go upto Leh too. He suggested the guys to go upto Kalpa. They helped each other with the respective routes they would be taking next.

Dinner was at nearby Ridang hotel. As soon as McDowell's No.1 turned up, all the tensions blew away and the gang was back like before. Swami Vijay Mallya ki jai ho. FG and GM opted for the horse beer, Zingaro. That was the only brand of beer available. They let the kid inside break out. Not everybody, though. HS and PA were the most mature here. They squirted water at each other and banged their fists. At one instant, the bang was so hard that HS fell over backwards on the floor. The waiter was totally psyched on seeing this. He must have been very pleased when CS told him while leaving, "kal fir aayenge", though the guys couldn't tell.

The party was still not over. Reaching back to the hotel, PA gave a loud shout, "Where's the leftover bottle?". FG was so high that he went and sat in the cupboard.

The council meeting went on till eyes couldnt open any longer. The discussion topics included Danny Boyle movies.

(Distance travelled during the day - 137 km)
(Distance travelled from Gurgaon - 1265 km)


Day 10: Sep 15, 2008

(Reckong Peo - Kalpa - Reckong Peo - Karchham - Sangla)

Chapter 10: Minimalistic Ride

HSU

After so much merry-making, the gang woke up late. It was a day for 'Garam Dharam' movies. Reluctantly, everybody got ready after another round of discussions with Josh and his girl, left for Kalpa. Josh was true to his word. There were no great monuments on the way. Simply, plain greenery alongside the road and cool weather. The group went up to Hotel Kinner Kailash of Himachal Tourism.

The place was awesome with neat looking wooden cottages and a clear view of Mount Kailash, the highest peak in Kinnaur. Apricots grew at a nearby tree to which the gang helped themselves.

They had a fabulous lunch at an equally fabulous dining hall. Although, a tad expensive, the experience was worth it. Riding back to Rekong Peo, fuel tanks were topped up. As Karchham approached, the road conditions deteriorated. A hydroelectric power project was being setup by the Jaypee group between Karchham and Wangtu causing heavy laden traffic. Jackets were covered with layers of cement. The diversion to Sangla was mercifully away from all the heat and dust.

After seeing Lahaul-Spiti, this area was not all that appealing. It would have been more appreciated coming from Shimla. Refuge was taken at Monal Regency hotel at Sangla.

After disposing of the luggage, they went for a round to see the waterfall suggested by the locals. On reaching the spot, the fall turned out to be dry. Moving slightly further, came a spot showing the beauty of Sangla valley. All this would be wiped out in a couple of years with industrialization creeping in.

For an evening snack, the group stopped at a Tibetan restaurant and ordered Momos. They were all drooling there, not at the momos, but at the momo-maker, Pooja. PA's associate Negi had told him to find natural beauty at Sangla, but this sort of beauty was not expected. Returning back to the hotel, GM retired as he was not feeling well. How could he be when he went without a helmet and only a wind-cheater. The hero had fallen. Planning on the next day, the group divided on the option of visiting Chitkul. Since, they had to reach Shimla, there was little time to visit Chitkul, the last village in Sangla valley. Ultimately, the duo, TP and PA elected to visit Chitkul early in the morning at 6 AM while the rest opted to rest it out. GM would also have joined were it not for his health. The council meeting solved an age-old nagging mystery that night(which cannot be recalled to this day).

(Distance travelled during the day - 28 km)
(Distance travelled from Gurgaon - 1290 km)

Day 11: Sep 16, 2008

(Sangla - Chitkul - Sangla)

Chapter 11: End of the Road

HSU

The duo, TP and PA, were ready to go at 6:15 AM and reached Chitkul within an hour. It was chilly with no sun. They reached the point where a stream draws the finish line to the road. There is no path beyond that. To have such a feeling where you have travelled all that you could and cannot go further, is beyond comprehension. Its a feeling of completeness. With elated spirits, they roamed the village built on the two sides of the stream. The village also had a keep and a temple.

The way back was even quicker, only to find the gang still sleeping. They set off from Sangla towards Shimla only at 11:40 AM.

(Sangla - Karchham - Wangtu - Bhavanagar - Jeori - Rampur - Jhakri - Narkanda - Theog - Fagu - Shimla)

Chapter 12: Another Big Leap

HSU

Their target, Shimla, was 250 kms away. The departure time from Sangla was 11:40 AM. They reached back the point of construction activity at Karchham. The stretch till Wangtu was horribly dusty. Conditions improved only after Wangtu. Roads were ok, but had potholes. The oncoming traffic was also increasing. Still, it was a respite from what they had suffered.

They stopped for lunch 2 hours later at Bhavanagar. The roadside dhaba had the ambience of Hard Rock Cafe. Hungry stomach gobbled up the plain rice, dal laid in front of them. The bill was an economic Rs 25 per plate.

It was only after Rampur, that roads widened enough and throttles opened. At some straight stretches, speeds were in excess of 80 kph. At this rate, they could have reached Shimla by 7 PM, well in time. But, nature has a way of balancing things out. As Narkanda approached, the temperature began to drop. The real problem started after Narkanda, when the tarmac disappeared. Such offroad conditions were not faced even in Spiti. The motorcycles bravely beared the punishment. Riders were getting tired, impatient and rash driving was inevitable. The tension was again mounting. FG lifted some of it when he returned to his own form just outside Theog. He had achieved a major feat of travelling 2.5 days without a fall.

As they reached Shimla, they experienced something that had been missing for the last 10 days. Traffic Jam. The destination, Hotel Himland, was marked at 9:20 PM.

By now, the stomachs were rumbling and dust was blowing out of nostrils as they breathed. GM was quick to order tandoori chicken, masala peanuts and finger chips. The gang ordered their favourite, Royal Stag. This time the party was quiet as all were busy, tearing the poor chicken to shreds.

Dinner contained some fantastic biryani and smacking Mutton. No major achievements for the council meeting this night since everyone was smitten by cable television.

(Distance travelled during the day - 325 km)
(Distance travelled from Gurgaon - 1616 km)

Day 12: Sep 17, 2008

(Shimla)

Chapter 13: The Urban Life

HSU

This day was kept reserved as a rest day. The guys really lived up to it. It was 2 PM and everyone just lazed around. Once every 15 minutes, they would ask each other on what to do. Except for CS. This was his turf, an urban and hep Hill Station. For once, he was ready before the others. He was raring to go to the city malls and check out Shimla babes. But sadly for him, nobody else shared the enthusiasm. Ultimately, he was so frustrated that he went off by himself, bought some chakhna, came back and finished the leftover bottle of Royal Stag from the previous evening.
Finally, GM stood up. He made a plan of going to see "Rock On". FG and CS joined him. The motorcycles were also being given a good rest, plus the parking in this town was a mess. They took the hotel cab for Rs 125 to be dropped off at Lift area, 4 kms away. Actually, they had heard Rs 25. The rest of the three were still laying around in their beds.
At 4 PM, PA and TP also got up. HS was still sleeping and had to be woken up. They took the city bus and got off a stop too late. It had been drizzling since morning. They hoped not to encounter any more rain the next day. It had been a very wet trip.
It was the first time that they saw a ticketing counter for using an elevator, that too for Rs 7 each. On reaching Mall road, TP straightaway went into Hotel Combomere. PA was thinking that maybe he had arranged to meet someone there. But later came to know that he was just seeking shelter from the rain. Idling away inside the coffee shop, they thought out their next plan of action. HS was looking for gifts for his family.

At the church above Mall road, they saw a number of people, especially young girls, giving filmi poses for photographs.

Finally, giving into their thirst and nothing else to do, they went to the nearest pub, La Glace. The ambience was good.

After a few drinks, they returned to the hotel with the stash for the night. The rest of the gang turned up 2 hours later. The room service man was super. He took the warm bottles of beer and exchanged them with chilled ones at the hotel. Since one day had been lost, the council meeting got back with a vengeance this time. They found a new wildlife sanctuary in Mumbai with lepards. CS was the highlight when he wouldnt let the rest of the hotel sleep by his continuous door-banging. It was ironic since HS was given a room by himself so that he doesn't disturb the others by his rumbles. GM was deprived of his beauty sleep yet again when he had to share the bed with TP again.

(Distance travelled during the day - 0 km)

(Distance travelled from Gurgaon - 1616 km)

Day 13: Sep 18, 2008

(Shimla - Solan - Dharampur - Panchkula - Ambala - Panipat)

Chapter 14: The Return Home

HSU

Next day was the return journey. Drink nights were supplemented with healthy breakfast of eggs and toast. The set off time was again after noon. The weather was again wet. But by now, the riders were pretty used to it and they started off.

They were entering familiar territory now after Kandaghat. The rain got heavier as they crossed Solan. A pit stop was taken at an old trusted spot, Gyani Restaurant at Dharampur. Unlike the last time, it was less crowded. But, the attention that they drew was still the same. Sadly, no girls college this time. It was here that GM formulated a picture that he had thought of since the trip began.

GM and HS bought wines and pickles and somehow found the room in their bags or on themselves to stuff it. It was still raining. With no other option, they set off in the wet. As they reached the plains and it got darker, visibility reduced. If the helmet visor was closed, the raindrops and oncoming headlights blinded them. If it was kept open, the spray from the passing vehicles and the direct rain was stinging the eyes. Caught in the midst, it was an open and shut case. TP and CS kept the visors closed. Their hands had got accustomed to the mechanism of wiping the visors every 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, HS was getting impatient and wanted to go all the way to Gurgaon that very day. It was already 10 PM at Ambala and the others tried to convince him that it would be very dangerous with the truck traffic. Moreover, the families would be more worried if they learnt that he had been riding solo so late in the night. But, it was of no use. Dinner was back at Murthal's Ahuja dhaba. They exchanged good byes at Panipat at 11:00 PM. HS promised to give a call as soon as he reached home.
TP's home was 8 kms from the goodbye point. After travelling 5 kms, over a couple of potholes, his tyre burst. Slowly, with the others guarding him, they limped home. They thanked their good fortunes that the incident didn't occur in Lahaul-Spiti. When they finally reached home, complexions had changed to Afro.

Since there was no chakhna, drinks were accompanied with GM's garlic pickle.

(Distance travelled during the day - 281 km)
(Distance travelled from Gurgaon - 1897 km)


Day 14: Sep 19, 2008
(Panipat - Delhi)

Chapter 15: No Rush

HSU

The guys slept to their full. There was the last 100 kms left. A touch of depression was also apparent since the wonderful trip had come to an end. Shoes were still wet from the day before. TP joined the others to mark a full stop to the journey. The take off happened at 5:10 PM.
It rained all the way to Delhi. On reaching ISBT, GM and CS went to their place at Lajpat Nagar. TP went to his place at Malviya Nagar. PA accompanied FG to drop off the Carabin stuff in his car at South Ex. When they reached there and FG was putting his motorcycle on the main stand, BAM! He fell again. It seemed such a befitting end to FG's trip.
Five minutes later, PA also headed home to Gurgaon.

(Distance travelled during the day - 166 km)
(Distance travelled from Gurgaon - 2063 km)

Day 15: Sep 20, 2008
(CR Park)

Chapter 16: Hail, Hail

HSU

This day was marked as festivity day. Friends turned up to watch the photos and hear about experiences. A gala time.

They were absolute men on the road and absolute kids off it. There were merry emotions along with tempers. Terrains ranged from plains to altitudes above 4500m. Roads turned from expressways to simply stone tracks. All in all, an absolute and complete trip.

Places are being considered now for the next September ride. Old partners leave, but new partners join in. Hope to get an even bigger group next year.

HSU